Positive and Negative Sides of Freedom of Speech on the Internet

Freedom of speech is one of the bases of democracy. But like everything in this world, the internet and the freedom of speech that it provides have their pros and cons. The Internet is controlling today’s generation. Skipping all the meals in a day is easier than surviving without the internet. In this article, we are going to see the positive and negative sides of freedom of speech on the Internet. It will offer you four positive sides of the freedom of speech that the internet offers us, and we will get to know how the internet is helping us and the world, and four negative sides that will make us question whether the abundance of social exposure is negative for us.

The Internet has so many things to offer us, and the base of it all comes from the power of expressing our needs and wants. Here are four positive sides of freedom of speech on the internet:

Finding a Common Ground

The internet or social media provides us the opportunity and freedom to express our emotions in whichever way we like to the world through the internet. This helps us to find people who share the same interest or are keen on a similar topic, and it helps people to find a common ground to talk about and grow.

Speedy Communication

Communication is easier through the internet. And it is a fact, that people are more open and extroverted on the internet. Sometimes we are unable to say a lot of things in person and with the help of the freedom that the internet provides us, we can say it openly. Even most of the things that we write in the text, we cannot say that in person. We do not have to worry about filtering anything while expressing our thoughts.

Fostering Empathy

No matter what topic, even if it is controversial we can share it on the internet – there is no restriction unless the government intervenes. The Internet is a friend of today’s generation. It is okay if we do not have friends because we have the internet – for leisure or any needs. Internet helps us to find people like us, who share similar opinions and who are similar to us. The way we use social media portrays the kind of person we are – so it is easier to foster sympathy from the people who can relate with us.

Building Connections

Building connections is easier with the help of the internet. We get to meet people who share the same interest as us. We get to talk and learn more about the topic. Internet is a place where we get to meet people of different classes, races, and countries and there is a variety of things to talk about. This is one of the best sides of the internet that we learn a lot, and there is scarcely anything that is not available on the internet. The freedom of speech that the internet offers us, helps us to grow more.

With the blessing comes the curse, in different ways, so yes, there are positive aspects of freedom of speech on websites or social media, but there are negative sides too. So, here are four negative sides of freedom of speech on the internet:

Judgment

Let’s just admit whenever we do anything on the internet, the first thing that comes to mind is what people will think of it – be it posting a picture, an Instagram story, a political or controversial opinion. The way we get complimented on the internet for posting an amazing picture, we can get the backlash that easily as well. So, freedom of speech on the internet is risky on the internet as well if you are providing them the independence to people to have direct communication with you.

Misunderstanding

When we share an opinion in a public place, the first thing we think of is to reach people then comes the fear of judgment and then misunderstanding. The way we communicate or share things on the internet tells a lot about our personality and nature. But, do we elaborate or justify our opinion because it is the internet, not an answer sheet. So, it is natural that a section of people might misunderstand your opinion or perspective that you display on the internet.

Exploitation

The Internet is not personal space. Yes, our Gmail, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, personal dashboard, are things that we have control over. But it is a public place. With the power of taking screenshots, sharing your profile, picture, even things as horrifying as hacking is so easy these days. It is not a tough job to exploit someone on the internet if they plan to do so. Either by hacking your profile, or making a fake account on your name and pictures – anything is possible.

Manipulation

As humans no matter how smart and intellectual we think we are – we are moldable. The opinion, perspective, or thought that we share on the internet, which is to the world, is in a way good for us because we love to know that we are being heard. But, at the same time, some people can take advantage of the vulnerability, passion, or rage that we are sharing with the advantage of the freedom of speech.

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